Thomas Markle, the under-siege dad of royal bride-to-be Meghan Markle, was the man of the moment Tuesday as questions continued to fester about whether he will walk his daughter down the aisle when she marries Prince Harry at Windsor Castle on Saturday.

Don't look to Kensington Palace for clarity: Royal press representatives continue to maintain their "no comment" stance about what is going on, possibly because they don't know themselves.

And who can blame them? Thomas Markle's seeming indecision about whether he would be at the wedding in St. George's Chapel has been mysterious , not least because developments are being filtered through only one media source: TMZ.

Even the usually indefatigable British tabloids, not to mention their American counterparts, have failed to reach Markle to get him on the record about why he might miss a family wedding he himself has labeled "historic."

Markle told TMZ he had reconsidered his regret about the staged photos and now believes it was "stupid" but not a "serious transgression." Consequently, he wanted to be there Saturday for his daughter.

"I hate the idea of missing one of the greatest moments in history and walking my daughter down the aisle," TMZ quoted him as saying. "I'd like to be a part of history."

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Wedding bells for Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle won't ring until May 19 but the cash registers in the town of Windsor were already ringing on Feb. 9, 100 days before the nuptials. Masks depicting the engaged couple are among the souvenirs for sale in the town outside the walls of Windsor Castle where the two will wed.
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A view of St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, where Harry and Meghan will exchange wedding vows. Dating back to the 14th century, it seats about 800 people and has been the venue where other royals have wed, including Harry's father, Prince Charles, and his second wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, in 2005.
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A view of part of massive Windsor Castle, which is more than 900 years old. It's a favorite royal residence for Queen Elizabeth II, who lives at Buckingham Palace in London during the week and spends most weekends at Windsor Castle.
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Within minutes of the announcement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement in November 2017, the Emma Bridgewater china factory in Stoke-on-Trent, England, began hand-making souvenir mugs commemorating the royal wedding. Now the zillions of china tea cups and mugs have filled shops throughout the country.
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The sheer number of souvenir items is impressive but not unusual for royal weddings, which typically fuel massive spending by visitors and citizens. Over the years, royal weddings have been a boon to the British economy.
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Sunny, seen here cradling his pot of porridge on High Street opposite Windsor Castle, told Getty Images photographer he has been living on the street in this spot for around eight months. He was one of a dozen homeless people sheltering on the streets of Windsor in early February. The local authority's plan to sweep them off the streets before the royal wedding has triggered indignation.
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By Tuesday afternoon, TMZ's latest update reported Markle changed his mind again. He thought he could get out of the hospital in time to travel to Windsor, but then realized it would be impossible after surgery.

"The surgery seems to be the final end to a roller coaster of speculation surrounding whether Mr. Markle would attend the royal wedding, just hours after it seemed Meghan had convinced her father to change his mind and walk her down the aisle," reported the Daily Mail.

A final end? Maybe. But how did it come to this? The palace has not clarified. The last official statement, issued late Monday, was a masterpiece of obfuscation: It neither confirmed nor denied whether Markle would be at the wedding.

"This is a deeply personal moment for Ms. Markle in the days before her wedding. She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr. Markle in this difficult situation," the statement said.

The "difficult situation" has been months in the making. Ever since Harry and Meghan's relationship became known publicly in the fall of 2016, Thomas Markle and his ex-wife, Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, have been pursued by the media for interviews, quotes and pictures.

Once their engagement was announced in November, the media frenzy increased as publications sought to build profiles of Harry's in-laws-to-be. Thomas Markle, 73, seems to have been unprepared for the pressure.

Meghan Markle and her mother Doria Ragland (L) at the the closing ceremonies for the Invictus Games in Toronto, Sept. 30, 2017.(Photo: GEOFF ROBINS, AFP/Getty Images)

A former Hollywood lighting director with money problems (he declared bankruptcy in 2016), he retired to a beach resort south of Tijuana in Baja California. His relationship with his daughter was loving but distant in recent years (she was living in Toronto while filming her legal drama, Suits), while her relationship with her mother has been close.

Meanwhile, her relationships with other members of the Markle family have been tense at best. Her two estranged half-siblings, Samantha Markle and Thomas Markle Jr, have both said poisonous things about her in interviews for months and have publicly slammed her for not inviting them to the wedding.

She told Good Morning Britain that her father's heart attack was due to the "unbelievable" stress brought on by media attention. Her father told TMZ he blames his heart attack on his son, who wrote a letter to Harry two weeks ago advising him not to marry Meghan and then blabbed about it to In Touch.

So who will walk Meghan Markle down the aisle? Maybe her mother, who has been far more discrete than her ex-husband's family in the run-up to the wedding.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle commemorated Anzac Day on April 25, 2018. The day highlights the first major military action Australian and New Zealand forces made during WWI.
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Days after becoming a father for the third time, Prince William joined his brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law for services at Westminster Abbey. William greeted her with kisses on both cheeks.
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Meghan Markle wore a v-neck dress by Hugo Boss while attending a memorial service with her fiancé Prince Harry in London on April 23. The memorial commemorated the 25th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, a black British teen who was killed in a racially motivated attack.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attended a women's empowerment reception at the Royal Aeronautical Society during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, in London, April 19, 2018.
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Although black is usually reserved for royal funerals it's not entirely unprecedented for royals-in-waiting to don the color, and Markle looked nothing short of sleek in a dress with an asymmetrical neckline by Black Halo.
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The royal couple-to-be showed off their obvious chemistry when they attended a women's empowerment reception during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, in London, April 19, 2018.
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All wedding planning and no fun could make for dull royals, but thankfully Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can turn to the Invictus Games. On April 6, the couple stepped out in Bath, England to attend the UK Team Trials for the competition to be held in Sydney in October. The international sport event gives wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women -- both veteran and active -- the opportunity to compete.
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An important step in Meghan Markle's royal education: Her first joint official appearance with Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family. Prince Harry and his American fiancee attended the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 12, 2018.
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Meghan Markle wore a creamy white coat by Amanda Wakeley and a matching beret-style hat over a dark dress for the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 12, 2018.
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After the service, the young royals, including Meghan Markle, met with school children in the abbey dean's yard. Meghan crouched to receive a posy of flowers from a young girl.
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Meghan Markle made her first joint appearance with Harry, Prince William and Duchess Kate at the first Royal Foundation Forum on Feb.28, 2018 in London. Markle's name will be added to the foundation's title when she weds and launches her new life as royal philanthropist.
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The fourth stop on the "Meet Meghan Markle" tour of the United Kingdom found Prince Harry and his bride-to-be in picturesque Edinburgh in Scotland, where their first event of the day was a walkabout outside Edinburgh Castle, on Feb. 13, 2018.
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Holding hands, the couple were greeted by large and enthusiastic crowds in Edinburgh. Markle's fashion gesture on her first official visit to Scotland included wearing a Burberry tartan coat and carrying a crossbody bag by Scottish brand Strathberry, Feb. 13, 2018.
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As Prince Harry introduces Meghan Markle to the United Kingdom, with their latest stop in Edinburgh, Scotland, the couple have continued to disregard stuffy royal custom with plenty of public displays of affection and touching.
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Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle are introduced to Cruachan IV, the Shetland pony Regimental mascot for the Black Watch; the obstreperous pony tried to nip at the royal fingers as Harry and Meghan laughed.
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In another impressive royal backdrop, Harry and Meghan went to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the seat of Scottish royalty, including Harry's distant Scottish ancestors, Mary Queen of Scots, and her son, King James 1 of England. The couple walked the corridors of the palace on their way to a reception for young people. Scotland's Year of Young People 2018 aims to inspire Scotland through celebrating youth achievements and strengthening their voice on social issues.
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Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle at a reception for young people in the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, during their visit to Scotland on Feb. 13, 2018. Her all-black outfit under included sailor-style Veronica Beard palazzo pants and high heels.
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Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle visited Wales on Jan. 18, 2018, in the latest stop on the "Meet Meghan" tour of Britain before their May 19 wedding.
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For her visit to Cardiff Castle in Wales, royal bride-to-be Meghan Markle wore a black Stella McCartney coat cinched with a wide ribbon-style belt, plus black boots. She carried a mini-saddlebag purse by the British brand Demellier.
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With iconic Cardiff Castle as a backdrop, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle plunged into a walkabout, shaking hands with children, many waving Welsh flags and even some American flags, during thier visit to Cardiff, Wales, on Jan. 18, 2018.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit Reprezent 107.3FM on Jan. 9, 2018 in London. The Reprezent training program "was established in 2008 in response to an alarming rise in knife crime, to help young people develop and socialize through radio," Kensington Palace tweeted the day of the event.
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